US5226872A - Sheet folding device - Google Patents

Sheet folding device Download PDF

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Publication number
US5226872A
US5226872A US07/865,243 US86524392A US5226872A US 5226872 A US5226872 A US 5226872A US 86524392 A US86524392 A US 86524392A US 5226872 A US5226872 A US 5226872A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
sheet
base part
holding member
folding device
folded
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US07/865,243
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English (en)
Inventor
Graham Watson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
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Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US5226872A publication Critical patent/US5226872A/en
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H45/00—Folding thin material
    • B65H45/12—Folding articles or webs with application of pressure to define or form crease lines

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a folding device for folding a sheet of thin material such as paper.
  • the folding of a sheet of paper is a common task performed by many people, especially in order to fit a letter into an envelope. Frequently, the relative sizes of the envelope and the paper mean that the paper must be folded at least twice in order to be placed into the envelope.
  • a folding device for folding a sheet of thin material, such as paper, comprising a first sheet holder for holding a first portion of the sheet, a second sheet holder for holding a second portion of the sheet, and connection means connecting the first sheet holder to the second sheet holder in such a way as to allow relative movement between the first and second sheet holders, said relative movement being such as to cause the sheet to be folded in opposite directions along two lines so that, when folded, the sheet forms a zig-zag shape.
  • the folding device may be arranged so that said relative movement causes the folds along said two lines to be formed substantially simultaneously.
  • the distance between the two sheet holders may be adjustable.
  • each sheet holder comprises two parallel holding members defining between them an elongate slot adapted to receive a respective portion of the sheet, and the connection means is arranged to ensure that the two elongate slots extend along substantially parallel axes throughout said relative movement.
  • the two holding members of at least one of the sheet holders may be movable relative to one another in order to allow the sheet to be more easily inserted between them prior to folding.
  • the two holding members might, for example, be pivotally connected together, and/or one of the holding members might be telescopic. It should be understood that the two holding members of each sheet holder are referred to above as being parallel because they are parallel during the folding operation, i.e. during said relative movement.
  • the width of at least one of the slots may be adjustable, and at least one of the sheet holders may be adapted to clamp the sheet within its respective slot.
  • the folding device may be provided with guide means for guiding the sheet into at least one of said slots before the sheet is folded.
  • the folding device may further comprise at least one stop for enabling the sheet to be correctly positioned relative to the sheet holders before it is folded.
  • connection means enables the first sheet holder to be moved through substantially 180° relative to the position of the second sheet holder, and thus to be moved from one side of the second sheet holder to the opposite side of the second sheet holder.
  • said relative movement may be along a circular path, but need not necessarily be so.
  • At least one of the holding members of each sheet holder is provided with a substantially flat and planar sheet bearing surface, and the connection means is adapted to ensure that said sheet bearing surfaces remain substantially parallel with one another throughout said relative movement.
  • connection means is formed as a parallel four-bar linkage.
  • the folding device may be provided with a handle for enabling said relative movement to be effected manually.
  • said relative movement may be effected by a motor.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a desk top folding device
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II--II of FIG. 2, showing the folding device in a loading position, and
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line II--II of FIG. 1, showing the position of the folding device after a folding operation.
  • the folding device 1 comprises an elongate flat base part 2 connected at one side thereof to a flat upper part 4 by means of a four-bar linkage 6.
  • the four-bar linkage 6 enables the upper part 4 to be moved between a first position in which it lies flatly above one end of the base part 2, and a second position in which lies flatly above the other end of the base part 2.
  • the first and second positions are shown respectively in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the four-bar linkage 6 ensures that the upper part 4 remains parallel to the base part 2 at all times.
  • a lower paper holding member 8 is attached to the base part 2, and an upper paper holding member 10 is attached to the upper part 4, in order to hold the sheet of paper which is to be folded.
  • the lower paper holding member 8 is formed as a flat, elongate, rigid strip extending across, and parallel with, the upper surface of the base part 2.
  • One end of the lower paper holding member 8 is connected to the upper surface of the base part 2 at the side of the base part 2 which is nearest the four-bar linkage 6.
  • the upper paper holding member 10 is formed as a flat, elongate, rigid strip extending across, and parallel with, the lower surface of the upper part 4.
  • One end of the upper paper holding member is connected to the lower surface of the upper part 4 at the side of the upper part 4 which is nearest the four-bar linkage 6.
  • the folding device is moved to its first position, shown in FIG. 2, and a sheet of paper 12 is inserted between the upper part 4 and the base part 2 from the front end 14 of the base part 2, until the sheet reaches the position shown in FIG. 2.
  • the sheet 12 first passes between the upper paper holding member 10 and the upper part 4, and then passes between the lower paper holding member 8 and the base part 2, until the end of the sheet 12 abuts against the stop 16 at the rear end 18 of the base part 2.
  • a short ramp 20 is connected to, and extends across, the base part 2 in order to guide the sheet 12 upwards so that it passes between the upper paper holding member 10 and the upper part 4.
  • a further ramp 22 extends along the lower side of the rear edge 24 of the upper part 4 in order to guide the sheet 12 downwards so that it passes between the lower paper holding member 8 and the base part 2.
  • the base part 2 is also formed with an upwardly sloping front edge 26 adapted to guide the sheet 12 between the upper part 4 and base part 2.
  • the folding device may be moved to its second position, shown in FIG. 3, by operating a handle 28 attached to one of the bars of the four-bar linkage 6.
  • the folding device As the folding device is moved to its second position, the sheet 12 becomes folded around the lower and upper paper holding members 8 and 10. Because the holding members 8 and 10 are formed as flat strips, the sheet 12 becomes sharply and neatly folded along two lines 30 and 32 so as to form a zig-zag shape.
  • the sheet 12 may be slid out from the side of a folding device opposite the four-bar linkage 6, and then placed into an appropriate envelope.
  • the bars of the four-bar linkage 6 may be of adjustable length, and the lower and upper paper holding members 8 and 10 may be adapted to clamp the sheet to the base part 2 and upper part 4 respectively. Furthermore, the lower and upper paper holding members 8 and 10 may be telescopic, and/or may be pivotally connected to the base part 2 and upper part 4 respectively.

Landscapes

  • Folding Of Thin Sheet-Like Materials, Special Discharging Devices, And Others (AREA)
US07/865,243 1991-04-08 1992-04-08 Sheet folding device Expired - Fee Related US5226872A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB919107380A GB9107380D0 (en) 1991-04-08 1991-04-08 Sheet folder
GB9107380 1991-04-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US5226872A true US5226872A (en) 1993-07-13

Family

ID=10692849

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US07/865,243 Expired - Fee Related US5226872A (en) 1991-04-08 1992-04-08 Sheet folding device

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US5226872A (de)
EP (1) EP0508713A3 (de)
GB (2) GB9107380D0 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5308051A (en) * 1992-11-10 1994-05-03 Gordon Spitzmesser Device for folding sheets of paper
US5378222A (en) * 1993-05-24 1995-01-03 Weber; William G. Apparatus for folding sheets for insertion into an envelope
US6872177B1 (en) * 2004-01-08 2005-03-29 Dwight E. Fullington Card creasing and embossing device

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES1034833Y (es) * 1996-07-24 1997-07-01 Lugea Eceiza Jose Maria Plegadora manual multifuncional.
DE19722930C2 (de) * 1997-05-23 2000-02-03 Guenter Rucho Briefpapierfaltgerät
KR101970881B1 (ko) * 2017-06-21 2019-04-22 배선구 티스틱 자동제조장치용 지그
KR101970882B1 (ko) * 2017-06-21 2019-04-22 배선구 티스틱 자동제조장치

Citations (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US13543A (en) * 1855-09-11 Machinery for folding and measuring- cloth
US141742A (en) * 1873-08-12 Improvement in paper-folding machines
US747085A (en) * 1903-06-27 1903-12-15 Joseph Vincent Rieffel Sheet-folding device.
US1245421A (en) * 1914-07-11 1917-11-06 Walter E Amberg Folding-machine.
US1809000A (en) * 1929-01-04 1931-06-09 Elza R Stealy Paper folding machine
FR1284132A (fr) * 1961-02-09 1962-02-09 Trelleborgs Gummifabriks Ab Dispositif pour machine de montage de pneus, avec tambour extensible de montage de pneu
US3229974A (en) * 1963-11-13 1966-01-18 Kimberly Clark Co Paper folding machine
US3279784A (en) * 1963-11-11 1966-10-18 Spinnerei Und Webereien Zell S Folding apparatus having laterally moving pleating members
FR1487066A (fr) * 1966-02-23 1967-06-30 Machine plieuse automatique pour linge de petites et moyennes dimensions
US3481595A (en) * 1967-12-01 1969-12-02 Robert Stuart Letter folder and envelope stuffer
US3759507A (en) * 1971-04-23 1973-09-18 Intissel Sa Machines for the continuous manufacture of cloth by superposing several layers of a textile web
US4265439A (en) * 1976-03-17 1981-05-05 Aktiebolaget Platmanufaktur Method and apparatus for folding a tubular length of hose material to form a package
US4597748A (en) * 1984-10-04 1986-07-01 Wolf Robert A Method and apparatus for forming gauze pads

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2028209B2 (de) * 1970-06-09 1972-08-24 Meteor Siegen Apparatebau Paul Schmeck GmbH, 5900 Siegen Vorrichtung zum zick-zack-falten von papierblaettern, insbesondere von zeichnungspausen
DE2849431C2 (de) * 1978-11-15 1980-11-06 Hat Hohmann Gmbh & Co Automations- Technik Kg, 7250 Leonberg Vorrichtung zum Falten von Faltgutstücken
EP0059357B1 (de) * 1981-02-26 1985-09-25 Hasler AG Falzmaschine

Patent Citations (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US141742A (en) * 1873-08-12 Improvement in paper-folding machines
US13543A (en) * 1855-09-11 Machinery for folding and measuring- cloth
US747085A (en) * 1903-06-27 1903-12-15 Joseph Vincent Rieffel Sheet-folding device.
US1245421A (en) * 1914-07-11 1917-11-06 Walter E Amberg Folding-machine.
US1809000A (en) * 1929-01-04 1931-06-09 Elza R Stealy Paper folding machine
FR1284132A (fr) * 1961-02-09 1962-02-09 Trelleborgs Gummifabriks Ab Dispositif pour machine de montage de pneus, avec tambour extensible de montage de pneu
US3279784A (en) * 1963-11-11 1966-10-18 Spinnerei Und Webereien Zell S Folding apparatus having laterally moving pleating members
US3229974A (en) * 1963-11-13 1966-01-18 Kimberly Clark Co Paper folding machine
FR1487066A (fr) * 1966-02-23 1967-06-30 Machine plieuse automatique pour linge de petites et moyennes dimensions
US3481595A (en) * 1967-12-01 1969-12-02 Robert Stuart Letter folder and envelope stuffer
US3759507A (en) * 1971-04-23 1973-09-18 Intissel Sa Machines for the continuous manufacture of cloth by superposing several layers of a textile web
US4265439A (en) * 1976-03-17 1981-05-05 Aktiebolaget Platmanufaktur Method and apparatus for folding a tubular length of hose material to form a package
US4597748A (en) * 1984-10-04 1986-07-01 Wolf Robert A Method and apparatus for forming gauze pads

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5308051A (en) * 1992-11-10 1994-05-03 Gordon Spitzmesser Device for folding sheets of paper
US5378222A (en) * 1993-05-24 1995-01-03 Weber; William G. Apparatus for folding sheets for insertion into an envelope
US6872177B1 (en) * 2004-01-08 2005-03-29 Dwight E. Fullington Card creasing and embossing device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2254603A (en) 1992-10-14
EP0508713A3 (en) 1993-01-27
GB9207548D0 (en) 1992-05-20
GB9107380D0 (en) 1991-05-22
GB2254603B (en) 1994-10-26
EP0508713A2 (de) 1992-10-14

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